Teams
Participating as a Head for the Cure team member helps make Head for the Cure 5K events successful both as a fundraiser and as an inspiration for brain cancer patients and their friends and families.
Imagine yourself with family, friends and co-workers, joining together to help find a cure for brain cancer. All you need are five or more registered runners or walkers who share in the spirit of the Head for the Cure.
Teams are an integral part of the growth success of Head for the Cure. At Head for the Cure 5K events, it is not uncommon for more than half of the participants to be part of a team honoring or memorializing someone affected by a brain tumor. Help us keep up the momentum and start or join a team this year!
START A TEAM
Start a team to honor or memorialize a brain cancer patient by registering and selecting “Yes, I want to create a new team” when asked if you would like to join or create a team. A minimum of five participants are needed to form a team. Once you create a team, others can join your team when they register.
The following can help you build and manage your Head for the Cure 5K team.
Email alerts— every time someone joins your team, you will receive an email notification.
Team Captain Tool Kit— get everything you need to start a team and learn tips and tricks from other team captains. Scroll down to access.
Special Fundraising Events— Head for the Cure periodically offers special events and promotions to allows you to raise additional money (in your team’s name). Some examples include Head for the Cure at the K!, a fun, family-friendly outing to build team morale, and a special sale with Pampered Chef that allows proceeds from sales credited towards your team. Check back frequently for more details.
Inter-team Competition— Your team could be recognized for having the most participants or raising the most money at a Head for the Cure 5K event. Most importantly, we want you to have fun and a forum to show your support for your loved ones affected by brain cancer.
JOIN A TEAM
If you would like to join or sponsor a registered 5K team, sign in to your personal account and select “Yes, I want to join a team” during the registration process. You’ll see a list of available teams and simply click on the one you’d like to join.
To join a team AFTER you’ve already registered, send an email with your name and the team you would like to join, and we’ll make sure you are added.
To sponsor a participant after you’ve already registered, sign in to your personal account and click on "Sponsor a Participant."
TEAM CAPTAIN TOOL KIT
Thank you for being a Team Captain for a Head for the Cure 5K event. You and your team truly make an impact. Check out these resources to help you build and manage your Head for the Cure 5K team!
SAMPLE INTRO LETTER/EMAIL (Word document)
SAMPLE FOLLOWUP LETTER/EMAIL (Word document)
SAMPLE POST-EVENT THANK YOU LETTER/EMAIL (Word document)
SAMPLE TEAM SPREADSHEET (Excel document)
Team Profile - Team Kris Campbell (PDF document)
Tips & Tricks for Head for the Cure Team Captains
Communicate with your team members regularly. Set up an email group or Facebook page to let everyone know updates on your team’s progress, activities, etc. Some sample letters and emails are available in the Team Captain Tool Kit.
Encourage team members to invite others to join your team. Sadly, it isn’t hard to find someone whose life has been touched by brain cancer, and often those people are eager to join in when asked.
Build a spreadsheet with all your team members’ information so you can stay in contact with them. One of the new features of our registration system alerts you whenever someone joins your team. And you can download your team members’ information, including T-shirt sizes. You can download your team member list by clicking on “Export my team members” after you sign in to your personal account.
Follow your team’s fundraising progress by downloading “Export my donors” after you sign into your personal account.
Design a T-shirt or other item (hat, shorts, etc.) to help your team stand out in the crowd and be able to identify one another easily at the event. It’s also a nice way to show your support long after the event takes place by wearing it around town. You can have your team members pay for the shirts or seek donations to cover the costs if you can’t afford to pay for them out of your own pocket. Find creative, low-cost ways to make your team stand out — carry a balloon of the same color, wear a pin with your honor patient’s photo and name on it, pin a customized “bib number” onto the backs of your team members’ shirts with info about your honor patient. There are lots of ways to show your unity as a team without spending a lot of money.
Take advantage of Team Packet Pickup (North Texas and Metro KC only) and plan a get-together the day before the event or the morning of the event to pass out all the individual packets. This is a great way to get everyone together to pose for a group photo and have a little team building before the event. Notify us by the Monday before the event, if you (or a designated person) would like to pick up your team members’ packets one day early at the team packet pickup.
Encourage your team members to meet at a designated time at the event for a group photo. There is a Head for the Cure Team banner, and you can have your team’s photo taken by a photographer or take your own.